Ferdinand von Mueller

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Printed letterhead: 'General Post Office Adelaide'. M forwarded Todd's letter to the editorial office of Petermann's geographische Mittheilungen; see M to E. Behm, 3 July 1882.

June 28.1882

Dear Baron,

Some months ago my station master at Alice Springs,

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NT.

Mr. Flint, said that a native who travels amongst the different tribes from the Dalhousie Springs northwards to beyond Barrow Creek & Eastward into Queensland made a statement about a party of Whites having many years ago been killed by the natives some distance east of the telegraph line thus confirming what the Blacks told Jarvis when he was overseer of the Mt. Margaret & Peake stations before the telegraph line was erected, which has several times been repeated by the Blacks since.

I thought it desirable that some steps should be taken to ascertain whether any traces of the missing party could be discovered & recommended that Mr. Flint should be sent out for that purpose as soon as a favorable opportunity presented itself. The Government kindly sanctioned this & Mr. Flint has recently returned. Knowing the interest you take in the search for Leichhardt's remains I send you copy of Register with Mr. Flint's report.

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South Australian register, 24 June 1882, p. 5. Flint indicated in his report that, although he had found no remains, he had received positive information from local Aborigines and was confident that, before shortages of water and meat forced him to turn back, he had been within striking distance of the point where Leichhardt's party had supposedly been killed.

You will see that he failed in the object of his expedition but I still think it possible that some traces of the party may be discovered east of the Dalhousie Springs, or near the borders of Queensland as the natives have for so many years been so persistent in their references to a party of Whites coming to grief. With kind regards

Baron von Mueller

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